denver. One of the pilots in trouble. Nurses on board jumping into action. And who helped land the ple? Abc's clayton sandell reporting from denver. Reporter: Tonight, one airline captain is alive. Thanks to two quick-thinking passengers on a recent united flight out of des moines, iowa. Amy sorenson was watching a movie when there was a call for help. Asking if anybody on board had any medical experience. Reporter: Sorenson, a nurse from wyoming, and linda alweiss, a nurse from california, raced from coach to cockpit because the person having serious chest pains -- is the pilot. And he was kind of slumped over in his chair and he was mumbling incoherently. And I then turned to the co-pilot and I said, "you know how to land the plane, right?" Reporter: Pictures show the two quickly turning the plane's galley into an emergency room. They say the pilot had an irregular heartbeat. They gave him medication, oxygen and fluids, keeping him stable. The flight was originally supposed to land here in denver, until the co-pilot, along with a retired military pilot that just happened to be on board, urgent steered the plane toward omaha. Medical emergencies in the air happens about once every 600 flights. Tonight, united tells us their pilot is expected to be okay. I don't really consider it heroic. We just jumped in, knowing that the patient needed care and just jumped into our roles. Reporter: Just doing their jobs. But this time, at 30,000 feet. Clayton sandell, abc news, denver. Saluting those nurses tonight.

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